The Closest Look Yet at the Canon EOS R3

The Canon EOS R3 has been one of the most discussed cameras of the year, but until this point, it appeared to only exist on paper, in renders, and in the minds of Canon engineers — but not anymore. In a video published by Gordon Laing, he shows that the camera is indeed real and not just vaporware.

Laing, who operates the website Camera Labs as well as a new YouTube Channel called Dino Bytes, was given the exclusive opportunity to take a look at the EOS R3 in person, discuss a few points about it, and show it from multiple angles that have not been specifically shown to anyone else.

In a conversation with PetaPixel, Laing specified that while he was able to take as many photos and videos of the camera from any angle he wanted, there were some limitations as to what he was allowed to do with the pre-production unit.

Firstly, he was not allowed to turn on the camera or see it turned on at all, which may indicate that it was a non-functioning model — he was not told either way. Laing was also not allowed to remove the body cap to get a look at the sensor, though he says he expects that the shutter would have been closed anyway even if he had been.

However, because he was able to see the camera in person, there are a few details he was able to glean that were not necessarily something that could be noted from seeing just the official renders.

“I can’t comment on weight, but in terms of size, it looks like a slightly shrunken 1DX, most noticeably shorter due to the lower viewfinder head,” Laing tells PetaPixel. “My exposures in the forest were a little bright, so it looks a little darker in person. I have to say I really liked the way it looked in person. Obviously bigger than an R5, but not anywhere near as large as a 1Dx. I guess the Olympus EM1X would be closest in overall heft, and I’ve estimated the size in my video.”

Laing specifies that his time with the R3 is more of a “hands-off” than a “hands-on” experience. While he was able to get closer to the camera than anyone outside of Canon yet had, he was still particularly limited with what he was allowed to show.

“I always take any opportunity to see a product in person when given the choice. It allowed me to film it from multiple angles so we can get a good look at the buttons, controls, and various protrusions.”

For more from Laing on the R3, make sure to watch the video above and check additional photos on his EOS R3 page on Camera Labs. For more, make sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel.